The Dark Side of Creative Direction

By Jeanne Frazer, President, vitalink® and The Expert Speakers & Mike Steele, Creative Director, vitalink

Taking an idea or concept and translating it to a graphic design that represents the subject matter takes a certain type of talent – one that really cannot be learned. The graphic artist must understand the subject to be put to the “canvas” – the essence of what is to be conveyed to the end viewer. The artist must step outside himself to make sure the design conveys the brand, message and overall impression needed to sell the product or service. It is rare to find an artist able to put aside his or her own style and step into the shoes of the intended target market.

So how does the artist start with a blank screen and come up with an extraordinary design? vitalink’s Creative Director Mike Steele recently created a design for his daughter’s high school theatre production of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. He walked us through the steps he took to move from an empty screen to final product. 

Step 1: Research
As with most projects, the first thing the artist must do is research the subject of the design. If it’s a product, this may include talking with the brand manager or product manager to understand what the product will do, who the prospective buyers are, and to understand more about the company selling the product. Searching the web to find similar products is a must, as is understanding what’s different about the version you will depict in your design.

In the case of Dracula, the book was written long ago and has been “done” many times in movies and plays; recently, the popularity of vampire books and shows has exploded. What Mike really wanted to do for his design was to show something totally different than what has been done in the past. The research here was to understand what not to do.

Step 2: Brainstorming
After the research is complete, it’s time to take your findings and come up with ideas you can use for your design. As we like to say, throw the ideas against the wall and see what sticks. Read the rest of the article.